Several state governments, especially those ruled by the BJP, have spoke in favour of taking the legislative route to check India’s population, which is expected to take over that of China, the world’s most populous country, by 2027.
Educating women was the best way to check population growth, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said, adding he was not in favour of bringing in law for the same.
The Janata Dal (United) chief’s comments are being seen as apparent disapproval of the Uttar Pradesh government`s draft population bill that seeks to discourage couples from having more than two children by making them ineligible for government jobs and various welfare benefits.
"I have nothing to say about what other states plan to do but my conviction, which is backed by experience, has been that things come under control once we take steps to educate the girl child," Kumar said when his views were sought on the issue on the World Population Day.
Kumar’s JD-U rules Bihar in a coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is also part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance at the Centre.
Several state governments, especially those ruled by the BJP, have spoke in favour of taking the legislative route to check India’s population, which is expected to take over that of China, the world’s most populous country, by 2027.
However, Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi does not seem to agree with the Chief Minister`s view. She issued a written statement, saying that awareness in men is more important in bringing down the fertility rate.
In her statement, Renu Devi said that there was a need to make men more aware to control the growing population. She said that there was a lot of fear among men about the process of sterilisation.
"For population control, awareness in men is needed more than women because there is a lot of fear among them about sterilisation. In many districts of Bihar, the rate of sterilisation is only 1 per cent", said Renu Devi.
Renu Devi also talked about other issues like the desire for a son that drives the husband and in-laws to pressure women to have more children, increasing the family`s size.
She added that there is a need to end discrimination between men and women to control the growing population.
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